Former football star helps local children shine on, off field

Wednesday

Aug 12, 2009 at 12:52 PM

Laura McKnightStaff Writer

HOUMA — In his high-school years, Bart Robichaux of Raceland sparkled on the football field, capturing honors and breaking a state record for his numerous catches as the go-to wide receiver for Mathews native and legendary LSU quarterback, Tommy Hodson. Now the former star receiver earns recognition for helping the next generation of players shine — on and off the field — as president of the Central Lafourche Bantam Football League.“Through the season and playoffs, it’s demanding on coaches, parents and kids,” Robichaux said, after describing the work that goes into preparing for each weekend’s games. “When you see them on Saturday, it’s worth it.”This month, Robichaux’s dedication to the Central Lafourche Bantam league led a national youth-photography franchise to tap him as its Volunteer of the Year for Louisiana. The 41-year-old Louisiana state trooper earned the award as part of Atlanta-based TSS Photography’s second-annual Volunteer of the Year program. “Things like Bantam football just don’t happen without the volunteers,” said Joachim Trosclair, owner of TSS Photography of Coastal Louisiana, a TSS franchise in Cut Off.The local franchise presented Robichaux with a $500 donation to the Central Lafourche Bantam Football league, a plaque, a $150 portrait package and $40 worth of Baskin-Robbins gift certificates. “I was very excited and very appreciative,” Robichaux said. “It’s a team effort. I’m just thankful that I have good coaches and a good board around me to make everything flow smoothly.”The Atlanta-based company received more than 400 nominations from organizations in 26 states. A selection committee reviewed the nominations and chose the state winners, before it picked a Kentucky volunteer as its national winner. Robichaux was nominated for the award by a longtime Bantam football player who sees the league president as not just a coach and mentor, but a father.“He’s been coaching me for football all these years, and I wanted to do something for him,” said Christian Sontoyo, Robichaux’s 12-year-old stepson.In the nomination form, Sontoyo writes that his stepfather encourages Bantam players to strive for excellence and teaches them discipline. “The children work hard in school and on the field just to shine in his eyes,” the form states.Sontoyo said his stepfather uses his past experience as a wide receiver to give Bantam players good lessons in gridiron skills, preparing them for junior high- and high-school teams.Robichaux started playing football in upper elementary school and cites the sport as the only one he enjoyed.Robichaux graduated from Central Lafourche High School in 1985, but his performance on the school’s football team still remains. An All-State and All-American player his senior year, Robichaux broke the state record for receptions with 101 catches. His reception record ranked fourth in the nation. Both of those records still hold, he said.Robichaux red-shirted —or didn’t play — his first season as a wide receiver for Nicholls State University, but left the team before his second season after he “took a helmet to the kidney,” which was expected to take at least a year to heal, he said.“I wasn’t taking a chance of losing a kidney,” Robichaux said. His friends joke that the state trooper now catches lawbreakers instead of footballs. Robichaux, a 15-year veteran of the State Police, inspects commercial vehicles, such as semis, to ensure they meet requirements for roadway use.Robichaux started coaching Bantam-league football when Christian decided to play at 6. Robichaux served as an assistant coach for Christian’s teams before moving to head coach. “As time went on, I just became more dedicated,” he said.Head coaches spend about four days a week working with their players.“It’s a lot of work involved,” Robichaux said. In May, board members for the Central Lafourche league elected Robichaux as its president. In this role, Robichaux oversees the league, which this year includes 110 players ages 6 to 12 and more than 20 cheerleaders, from toddlers to pre-teens, from Raceland, Lockport, Mathews and Bayou Blue. The league also includes a crew of coaches, concession-stand workers and other volunteers. “The kids play as a team, we work as a team,” he said.Therese Bourgeois of Raceland, secretary for the Central Lafourche league, said she appreciates Robichaux’s dedication to the kids and nonstop efforts to gain donations and volunteers. He actively seeks ideas from other league volunteers and likes to make decisions as a team, but bases each choice on what would most benefit the children.“Everybody has a different idea and thinks a little different,” he said. “If it’s better and it’s going to do something more for the kids, we want to hear it.“I really love just keeping them off the streets,” Robichaux added. “As long as it doesn’t affect my family life, I plan to stay with it.”